Apparatus for mechanically milking animals.



I PATENTED OCT. 23, 19,0

0, s. PADFIELD.

APPARATUS FOR MEGHANIGALLY MILKING AN IMALS.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

APPLICATION IILED SEPT; 10. 1903- aZw/s rap/15 5. HIM/5L0 N0. 333,890 I PATBNTED 001'. gs,.19'0s..

o. s. PADFIELD. A APPARATUS FOR MEGHANIGALLY MILKI'NG ANIMALS.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.10. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A (hum /15R 5 IDAOF/ELD w i w i no. 833,890. I

NITED STATES PATENT onnron .CHRISTQPHER SAMSON PADFIELD, OF REMINGTON, NEAR BATH,

ENGLAND;

APPARATUS F R ME HANICALLY muons ANI ALS.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Oct. 23, 1906.

Application filed September 10, 1903. Serial No. 172,621-

.Z'o all whom it may concern.- Be it known that I, Cnms'rornnn SAMSON .PADFIELD, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Hemington, near Bath, in the countyof Somerset, England, have invented a newland useful Improvement in Ap aratus for Mechanically Milking Ani-- ma s, of which the iollowin g is a specification. This invention relates to improvements in apparatus formechanically milking animals and has for its object to provide an a para I tus of'this class which is labor-an time saving, 'efiective in operation,;and sim le of construction, and which will not be lia le to damage theanimal during the operation of Tfieinvention consists, essentially, of anadjustable, frame mounted upon a standard and I carrying adjustable drivenrollers and stationary compreseio'rnplates, between whichthe animals. teats are compressed for the purpose of extracting the milk.

In the'drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a ported by a suita le standard, such as I), hav- I ing feet I).

I The frame a is preferably hinged at a" to a bracket 0, arranged to have a vertical sliding movement on the standard I), a spring 11 normally maint'ainin the said frame in its horizontalposition. The object of-this arrangement is to enable the frame to be depressed without the risk of bending any of the parts in the event of the animal orumping or crouching. Thebracket c is provided with a balanced pivoted catch 0, which is adapted to have its lower end take into any one of a number of holes I)? in the standard I) to hold the frame at any desired point ofadjustmeht. The frame a carries the invention into practice two transverse spindles 0, upon each of which are rigidly mountedend disks f, be-

tween which are rotatably mounted a plurality of rollers g, covered with rubber or other yieldingmateriall The said rollers may be arranged to have no movement other than their. rotary'movement aforesaid, Figs- 1 and 2, or they may be mounted'on springs or spring-controlled arms, an} s to bec'apab e of a compensating movement.

In the arrangement shown by Fig. 3 the rollers g are mounted in bearings carried by the outer ends of'curved springs 72 which have their inner ends connected to blocks 71,

on the inner sides of the end disks f, stops or projections 71 being provided for limiting the outward movement of such springcarried rollers.

The frame a may be provided with lengthwise slots a? and one of the spindles e mounted in bearing-blocks j, arranged to have a sliding ad'ustment in said slots, to provide for the ad ustmen't of the one set of rollers g nearer to or farther away from the other. This adjustment may be eiiected by means of a ratchet-bar 7c, hinged at one end is to a transverse. connecting-piece y" on the ,ends of the bearing-blocks j, and having a t its other end a handle l-Zsuch ratchet-bar is passing through an opening in the end mem her a of the frame a. In heu of this ratchet bar a worm or other well-known equivalentmay be employed. I I

Carried in bearings a, u on side extensions.

0? of the, frame a, is a sha '1, upon which are keyed be'vel-pinions Z, which ear with bevel wheels 6, keyed upon one en of the spindles I e and by means of which the said s indies (and consequently the rollers g, carrie by the disks f) are'causedto be rotated in op osite directions. Acrank-handle l is rev; ed on one end of the shaft Z to permit 0 same being manually actuated.

. Curved compression-plates m, covered with rubber or its eguivalent, are rovidid on the frame a, such p ates being eit er rigid or they may be mounted on springs, such. as m, Figs. 1 and 2, such compression-plates being located intermediately of the roller-carrying disks f .andarranged to exert a pressure, in conjunction'with the rollers g, against v sion-plates may be held at the the animals teats when the said rollers are rotated. The said compression-plates may be rendered capable of .a lengthwise adjustment on the frame a by providing the said plates with side flanges m", which extend across the upper and lower sides of the frame to support such plates thereupon and allow them to be moved along same. The compresdesired point of adjustment by means of set-screws m or their equivalent. Stops m are provided for limiting the travel of the said compression- Iplates m.

Guards or supports n are provided on the frame for the purpose of protecting and supporting the animals udder, while the operating-gear and any ratus may be provided with safety-guards, such as 0. For facilitating the removal of the rollers g the spindles g at one end thereof may be each let into a recess g in the bottom of which is provided a spring 9?, or any other suitable well-known arran ement may be 5 provided for the stated purpose.

Small anti friction-rollers c are provided on the bracket c to facilitate the movement of same upon" the standard b.- The frame a is provided with depending ends a, having flanges (1 for the purpose of enabling a milk-receiving pan 1) to be suspended therefrom, the bottom p of such pan being given a curved form to revent the milk being spilled in the event 0 the frame a being turned down on its hinge.

1 {tially as specified.

The operation, of the apparatus is as follows: The appa-i'atus is placed beneath the cow, and the rollers and compression-plates adjusted so as to receive two teats between each platd and the corresponding rollers. By operating the shaft Z the spindles e are caused to rotate in opposite directions, thereby causing the rollers g, mounted between the end disksf, carried by such rollers, to exert a downward rolling pressure against the teats,

w nch, in conjunction with thesaid compres sion-plates m, causes the milk to be extracted and deposited into the receiving vessel, the arran ement ofthe spring-controlled rollers g and compression-plates permitting of a compensating movement thereof in order to prevent unduepressure upon the teats.

, What I claim, and desire to secure by Let- ,ters Patent of the United States, is I 1. In milking apparatus, the vertical standard having supporting-feet and a series of openings to receive the nose of a catch; the catch and the rectangular frame adjustably supported upon said standard, said frame comprising lengthwise-slotted side members and end members having depending flanges, for supporting a milk-receptacle, substan n combination with 'a rectangular frame and a vertical standard; the bracket other parts of the appa.

idly connected to dies, the frame 1n which are mounted said easeso arranged to have a vertical adjustment upon said standard; antifricticn rollers on said bracket; the pivoted weighted catch on said bracket, arranged. to have its lower end take into any one of a number of openings in said standard; and the spring-controlled. hinge connecting said. frame with the said bracket, substantially as specified.

3. In milking'apparatus, the combination with a vertically adjustable frame; of transverse spindles, one of which is capable of a lengthwise adjustment in said lengthwise slots of the frame; end disks rigidly fixed to said spindles; \yielding-surfaced rollers rotatably mounted between said end disks; and the means for driving said spindles and their accessories, said means com )rising a shaft mounted in bearings in sai frame; bevelpinions on said shaft and bevel-wheels on said spindles, arranged to engage with said bevel-pinions on the shaft, substantially as specified.

4. In milking apparatus, the end disks rigthe driven transverse spinspin les the means for driving said spindles; and the means for mounting the compressionrollers in said disks whereby a compensating movement is obtained, sai means comprising springeontrolled arms pivoted at one end to said disks and having the roller ends revolubly mounted in their outer ends, substantially as specified.

5. In milking apparatus, the modified 'means' of mounting the compression-rollers in the end disks, said means consisting of curved springs fixedat their inne ends to blocks on said disks, and having the roller ends revolubl mounted in bearings at their outer ends, su stantially as specified.

6. The apparatus for mechanically milking cows, consisting of the combination of a hinged, rectangular frame adjustably supported upon a vertical standard; the standard; depending flanges on the ends of said frame; and a receiving vessel having a curved bottom and suspended from said flanges; with apair of transverse spindles revolubly moun ted in said frame; end disks on said spindles; curved com )ression-plates located between said sets of rollers; bevel-wheels on said spindles; a shaft rotatably mounted in said frame; bevel-pinions on said shaft, gearing with said bevel-wheels on the spindles and arranged to drive them in opposite directions; means for adjusting one of the spindles and its accessories lengthwise of the frame; and the guards for preventing con tact of the animal with the mechanism, said guards being located on the hinged frame on each side of the said compressionlatcs, substantially as specified.

'7. In milking ap mratus, the mod d IIC form of supporting-standard, consisting of In testimony whereof I have signed my a flat-bottomed vessel arranged to form a name to this specification in the presence of milk-receptacle and a base for the standard two subscribing witnesses.

supporting the apparatus; and the guards CHRISTOPHER SAMSON PADFIELD. for preventing splashing or Wasting of the Witnesses:

milk as it is extracted from the animal, sub-' GEO. CARTER,

stantially as specified. CHARLES HAMBLIN. 

